State wrapping up hepatitis C probe

EXETER — A final report from the state Department of Health and Human Services on the Exeter Hospital hepatitis C outbreak is expected by the end of March or early April.

Aaron Sanborn

EXETER — A final report from the state Department of Health and Human Services on the Exeter Hospital hepatitis C outbreak is expected by the end of March or early April.

Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, New Hampshire's epidemiologist, said the report will outline the state's investigative process.

"We'll share what we learned and some recommendations on how to minimize the risk of this ever happening again," Alroy-Preis said.

Alroy-Preis said the state is wrapping up its investigation into the outbreak and it should be complete in a few weeks. She said the report will not contain any patients' personal information.

"We're waiting for a few more information points that will help us close some loops; once that happens, we'll provide the final report on the investigation," she said.

Merrimack Superior Court Judge Richard McNamara late last year granted the state broad access to Exeter Hospital's medical record system. With that access, the state has reviewed more than 150 records, Alroy-Preis said, adding nothing has come to light during the records review that would cause the state to change the scope of its investigation.

A total of 32 Exeter Hospital patients connected to the hospital's cardiac catheterization laboratory have tested positive for the same strain of hepatitis C as alleged infector David Kwiatkowski, a former cath lab technician. State officials say a large part of its investigation, including the request for access to the hospital's medical records, was to make sure the outbreak hadn't expanded to other portions of the hospital or other patients.

Kwiatkowski, 33, is charged with seven counts of tampering with a consumer product and seven counts of illegally obtaining drugs. He allegedly stole syringes filled with fentanyl, injected himself, and then refilled the tainted syringes with another liquid, which were then used on patients.

As a traveling medical technician, Kwiatkowski worked in at least 17 other hospitals in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Arizona, Kansas and Georgia from 2003 to 2011. In addition to the 32 patients infected in Exeter, six patients in Kansas, five in Maryland and one in Pennsylvania have been identified as being infected with the same strain of hepatitis C as Kwiatkowski.

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